Sunday, September 21, 2008

It may be an election year, north and south of the border, but after looking at the foundation of the swing ride this weekend, I'm betting the Erie Beach relic won't be standing four years from now.

Mother Nature (more so than kids who for decades have tried to knock the centre post) has taken a toll on the structure over the years. Have to dig up photos from last summer, but the ice surge during a storm in January seems to have knocked the middle out another couple of inches, ever closer to the inevitable tipping point.

Do you have photos of the structure, which dates back to the 1910s? I'd love to see how it looked throughout the years after the park closed. Please email me.

(note: I've called this the Lindy Loop in the past, which is incorrect. Erie Beach Amusement Park did have a Lindy Loop, which operated in the last two years of the park's existence, but it should not be confused with the swing ride).

Why isn't there a plan to save this as part of the now-official park? Our modern ruins should be considered valuable... Buffalo has finally realized the value of their grain silos and look at how successful that has been. What a shame to let more of the remnants go under if they don't have to.